Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-19
Marshal ssazainc stabbed,
A pRENCHAAN DANGEROUSLY woUSps TAG asl


A pRESCHNAN DAS6ERoUsIN WOUNDS raE .sRp
EXILE II MADRID.
Marshal Bazalne was assaulted vest. rlay An
Madrid. by Frenchman, who attacked him with
a poniard. exclaiming: "J'ai Senga ina pstrie.-
The marshal was dangerously wounded about th.
head The Frenchman was paying a visit 10 Ba.
zaine, and stabbed him after a short conversation
The would-be assassin was arrested. II Is aeal
that no fatal result Is feared. The prisoner 4.
named Nilairand He declares that NJ came with
the Intention OF killing BaZane, ana that the day
ger was poisoned. He was elegantly dressed. and
calls himself n correspondent oi the CbUrtor re
Rochelle. Medical men believe ham 10 be Insane.
Marshal Bazaine Is SeNerty-siN years old. lie
greatly distinguished himself IA the Frvnch CAIN
paign In Mexico, and Was appointed marshal OF
France In lS64. In the carry part OF the war be-
tween France and Germany be Was very prom
inent, but he soon Incurred the lasting ill-wll
and contempt OF his countrymen 10y his surrender
or Metz ana $4,000 soldiers u Prince Frederick
Charles after the German forces had besieCed the
strongly Tortured city Tor seven weeks Prince
Frederick Charles force was hardly greater than
thai commanded by Bazaine. The mutton believed
him traitor "a their cause and IN tear of his ~,
he Ged 90 England right after the capitula alton of
Met, where ne remained until he was summoned
TO Versailles by the military commission
charges were brought against him, and he
was imprisoned ut Versailles for several
months He was then tiled by a cogr,-
martial over which the Due ii Aumale presided
lie was accused OF military incapacity. first IN al
lowing himself 10 be- blockaded At all, and second,
in Surrender1ng q remarkably strong position to a
force but little superior 10 his own. He was also
accused OF the reasonable design OF making him
self and his army independent OF the Government
or National Defense, which France had everywhere
accepted. After a two months trial he was found
guilty and sentenced 10 degradation and death.
The court, however, recommended him TO mercy.
President Mac Nahon commuted the death penalty
10 imprisonment for twenty years In q fortress.
stripped OF his dignities and dismissed from the
army BaZafne was sent 10 undergo his
sentence on the Isle Siinte Marguerite, In
tine Mediterranean, near Cannes. Here he
lived for nine months Ee enjoyed consider
able freedom In the society or his wife and
children. Then his wife visited President
MacMahon and besought him 10 permit her hus-
band TO end his days IN exile, instead IN prison.
Her petition was coldly refused, ana Bazaine then
determined ir possible, 10 escape. on sunday
evening. August y, LIZA, Mime. Bszaine ana her
cousin rowed noiselessly in small boat 10 the
base OF the rock On which the fortress was built.
Bazaine spent the evening In conversation with
his Old aide-de-camn, Col. Nillette. The next
morning rope WAS found hanging from the para
pet ana the prisoner was gone. He had safely
reached the waters edge and his wife took him in
her boat 10 a small yes,el that was near at hand.
BY daybreak Bazaine was out OF sight OF land. lie
Was put ashore IA Italy, Travelled through Switzer-
land ana Germany 10 England aud late In Novem-
Der, 1874. he went TO Madrid, where he has since
resided. -Four years ago he published book, In
which he described the part lac took i'm the Franco
German war and deliberately defended his conduct
at Metz.